Eduaed schultze



PATENT OFFICE.

EDUARD SCHULTZE,

or nnnnsrAnr, GRAND DUCHY OF IIESSE, GERMANY.

GUNPOWDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,289, dated March15, 1887.

Application filed December 527, 188.6. Serial No.222fi3l. (Nospecimens.) Patented in England December-9, 1885,)0. 1512); in GermanyFebruary 2-1, 1886, No. 33,863, and in Belgium MarchS, 1886, No.7-2,.ll-l.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDUARD Sonurrzis, a subject of the King of Prussia,and a resident of Darmstadt, in the Grand Duchy of Hesse, Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gunpowder, (for which Ihave obtained patents in Germany, No. 33,863, February 24, 1886; GreatBritain, No. 15,129, December 9, 1885; and Belgium, No. 72,214,

to March 3, 1886,) of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification.

The improvements in the manufacture of gunpowder and similar explosivesconsist in the composition and combination of threekinds I 5 ofmaterials-of a nitro-hydrocarburet with pyroxyline, and thirdly with anitrate or salt, formed by the union of nitric acid with a base andfurnishing a compound of oxygen and nitrogen. By mixing these threeconstituents in various proportions I am able to produce an explosive ofgreater or less force. When this mixture is to be used as gunpowder forshooting purposes, the pyroxyline and diminish the rending force of thepyroxyline by adding nitro-hydroean burets and nitrates; but when I wishto use said mixture as a blasting explosive, for blasting hard rocks orminerals and other blasting purposes,l augment this amount ofpyroxyline,

with aview to producing greater rending force. When burning, thesemixtures are free, or nearly, from noxious fumes, residue, and recoil. Iinstance as belonging to the hydrocarburets which I employ in mymixtures common resin or colophony, tar, turpentine, or turpentineoil,after having treated them with nitric acid. I instance as belonging tothe pyroxylines which I employ nitrocellulose, (cotton or wood or anyvegetable fiber.) I include the different varieties of pyroxyline, andinstance the form commonly called gun-cotton.

I instance as nitrates those'of baryta, potassium or sodium, lime, andammonium. By

a different combinations of these constituents I am able to produce.every class of explosives suitable for all purposes. I can use them, for

instance, in the place/of dynamite, for blasting hard rocks ormine'rals, treating the convenient mixture under hydraulic. pressure, orin the place of black gunpowder for or minerals less hard,-or in thebombs an blasting rocks I take a certain amount of shells of theartillery. I can also employ my explosive as a filling for cartridges tobe used in coal-mines subject to the damp. These cartridges will notignite the fire-damp, and thus obviateafruitful cause of accidents. canalso choose another percentage in mixing the three constituents, so thatthe explosive is then suitable as gunpowder for sporting and militarypurposes.

I will now give examples of theproport ions to be used in preparingexplosives according to my invention, but I wish to be understood thatthey are given as the best proportions with which I am acquainted forcarrying my invention into efi'ect, and that I do not limit myself tothe precise details given in these examples, portions in the same manneras the black gunpowder-makers can and do vary their proportions ofcharcoal, sulphur, and saltpeter to produce explosives suited to variousrequirements.

' The proportions hepeinaltcr given are by weight. A powder suitable forsporting purposes eau be made according to my invention by mixing twelveparts of nitro-tar, or colophony,or turpentine, or turpentine-oil, ormixtures of them, with sixty to eight-y parts of pyroxyline, sixty toeighty parts of nitrate of baryta,and eight to ten parts of nitrate ofpotassium.

This mixture is prepared and granulated in the well-known mannerprevalent in making black gunpowder. I may add some binding material ornot, and the grains of the finished powder may be coated or not withsubstances fit for this purpose,'suehas paratiine, resin, or collodion.

Not more than five-eighths of this gunpowder for sporting purposes thusproduced should be used in the place of the quantity of black gunpowderthat is generallyused for this purpose. The propelling force of thesporting-powder thus produced is excellent and the rending force is notgreater than that of black gunpowder, and it is free or nearly free fromobjectionable fumes, residue, and recoil.

as I can advantageously vary the pro- A good gunpowder for rifles isproduced by mixing ten parts of nitro-tar, colophony, turpentine,orturpentine oil, or mixtures of them,

d with two hundred and eighty to three hundred parts of pyroxyline, onehundred to one hundred and twenty parts of nitrate of baryta, forty tofiftyparts of nitrate of potassium, and about ten partsof sulphur.

This mixture is to be granulated in the same manner as thesporting-gunpowder, and should be employed in quantities of abouttwo-fifths the weight of the quantity ofblack gunpowder used foranalogous PUPPOSGS-r-SUOH, for instace, as that for military rifles. Thefinished powder may be coated or not, as mentioned with respect to thesporting-powder.-

My blasting explosive, suitable for use in blasting mild rocks orminerals, hasa little proportion of pyroxyline. I may also add to thisexplosive a quantity of sulphur.

The proportion of the materials may with advantage be about ten partseach of pyroxylinc and sulphur, fifteen parts of nitrohydrocarburets,and seventy-five parts of saltpeter. The greater the proportion ofpyroxyline the greater will be the power of the explosive produced, sothat when p for blasting hard rocks or'm'inerals'the pro portion ofpyroxyline should and can be increased to suit the purpose for which itis required. 1

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim, and secureby Letters Patent,-is-

The composition, consisting of a'nitro-hydroan explosive is requiredcarburet, (such as nitro-colophony, tar, turpentine, or turpentine-oih)and of pyroxyline, and of nitrates or salts furnishing oxygen, incombination with nitrogen, for shooting and blasting purposes,substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presen'ceof twowitnesses.

EDUARD SGHULTZE. VVitnesses:

O. MiiLNER, B. R01.

